Vice President JD Vance will face questions about the economy, immigration, tariffs, health care and other issues on voters’ minds in the latest CBS News “Things That Matter” town hall.
“Things That Matter: A Town Hall With Vice President JD Vance” broadcasts today on CBS. The one-hour special will also stream on multiple live-TV streaming services offering free trials and additional ways for cord-cutters to watch CBS without cable.
When is the JD Vance ‘Things That Matter’ town hall?
“Things That Matter: A Town Hall With Vice President JD Vance” airs Saturday, Oct. 17, at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
- Time: 8 p.m. Eastern
- TV channel: CBS
- Free live streaming: Fubo (free trial available) and DIRECTV (free trial available)
- Live streaming: Paramount+
- Length: 1 hr.
The town hall was recorded in Michigan, a key battleground state ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, where Vance sat down with “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil.
What is ‘Things That Matter: A Town Hall With Vice President JD Vance’ about?
The timing of the special places the 2026 midterm elections on Nov. 3 front and center.
CBS says Vance and Dokoupil will discuss the battle for control of Congress and issues affecting voters, including affordability, tariffs, immigration, health care, artificial intelligence, the war with Iran and the state of American democracy.
The Michigan setting is particularly relevant. The state has a battleground U.S. Senate race and several competitive House contests that could help determine control of Congress, while Michigan voters will also choose the state’s first new governor in eight years.
Rather than relying only on an interviewer, the town-hall format puts Vance in front of an audience of Michigan voters from across the political spectrum. Those voters will get opportunities to ask questions and explain how they are affecting their lives.
How to watch the JD Vance town hall live for free without cable
For viewers who want to watch live, the simplest option is a live-TV streaming service that carries a local CBS station.
Fubo offers a free trial of up to 5 days and includes CBS among its available local broadcast networks. Fubo’s Pro plan starts at $63.99 for the first month after the trial, then $88.99 per month. The Pro package includes 227 channels plus unlimited Cloud DVR.
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DIRECTV also offers CBS along with a 5-day free trial so viewers can watch tonight’s town hall live. DIRECTV’s Entertainment package begins at $59.99 for the first month for new users, after which it renews at $89.99 per month. The package includes over 90 channels and Cloud DVR capability to stream on demand.
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$89.99 Free Trial
Get a 5-day free trial of DIRECTV to watch live and on demand.
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Can you stream the JD Vance town hall live on Paramount+?
Yes, but the Paramount+ tier matters.
According to Paramount, Paramount+ Premium subscribers can stream the town hall live through the service’s local CBS affiliate feed and can also watch it on demand.
Paramount+ Essential subscribers will receive on-demand access the day after the special airs.
Paramount+ Essential is $8.99 per month and Premium is $13.99 per month. Premium includes access to the live local CBS station plus additional live programming, while Essential is the lower-priced, ad-supported tier.
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Paramount+ Essential is $8.99/month or $89.99 for a full year.
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